King’s X
Please Come Home … Mr. Bulbous (Metal Blade)
King’s X has long been respected for their adventurously composed power trio songs, many of which deal with spiritual maelstroms, but always from an open, human perspective, not a dogmatic fortress. More Last Temptation of Christ and less Sunday church finger-waving. And let’s not forget the volume, because you’d be hard-pressed to find a band that rocks harder than King’s X. Hailing originally from everywhere USA — Springfield, Mo. — and eventually meeting up in Houston, the band has played together for nearly 20 years, experiencing all the disappointments of corporate rock. After being dropped by Atlantic Records, King’s X seems to have forged a happy relationship with Phoenix’s Metal Blade label for the trio’s eighth studio album … Mr. Bulbous. By now, King’s X has earned the luxury of recording in their own studios, giving the 10 original songs and 45 minutes of … Mr. Bulbous all the energy, uniqueness, and heartfelt lyricism the band is known for — from the head-bang-o-matic opener “Fish Bowl Man” to the swampy distorto guitar, spidery bass lines, and cinderblock drumming of standout track “Marsh Mellow Field.” Heavy music, lyrically and musically, … Mr. Bulbous is the band’s best in a while, if not ever. (King’s X plays the Back Room September 16.)
This article appears in September 8 • 2000.